Scar Revision Jacksonville

Patients are often seeking scar revision surgery to improve the appearance of their scars. As of yet, there is no treatment that will eliminate scars entirely, but there are procedures available to help minimize their appearance. Scar maturation is a slow process that can take up to 1-2 years, and many times, if a scar is too fresh (less than 1 year), it is too soon to perform a revisionary procedure, but laser scar revision could be performed to reduce any residual redness in the scar.

One thing that is important to know when you look at scar treatment and scar revision before and after photos is that scars usually get better with time on their own, and it is not always a direct result of the treatment.

There are certain types of abnormal scars. A keloid scar is a type of scar which grows over and beyond its borders, and a hypertrophic scar is a scar which develops too much collagen and is thicker. Some people are prone to develop these types of scars, and they are more common in certain areas on the body, like the chest, earlobes, shoulders, and knees. These types of scars have a higher recurrence rate even after surgical revision. There are also atrophic scars, where the normal underlying structure of the skin is lost and the final appearance of the scar is sunken or recessed.

The cost of scar revision can vary depending on the treatments recommended. Scar revision surgeons who are well trained will be able to tell you if the scar can be improved with surgery, and this is very important when dealing with facial scar revision, which is definitely a more undesirable place for a scar to be. In some cases, Dr. Kirk can perform a small procedure that will give the scar the best chance at healing with less visibility the next time it heals, but it is not possible make them disappear completely.

Acne Scar Revision

Treatments related to acne scar revision include chemical peels and laser therapy. Deeper acne scars need deeper peels to be effective. A chemical peel typically involves TCA (trichloroacetic acid) at varying percentages. This procedure performed in the office with local anesthesia. The down time can be 10-14 days to allow the face to heal and the new skin to regrow. It is very important to care for the wound and avoid sun exposure and use strong sunscreen after the peel, and the final results can take 3-6 months to become apparent.

Tummy tuck scar revision

Tummy tuck scar revision can help the appearance of the scar on the lower abdomen that is created during the tummy tuck procedure. Sometimes a direct excision of the scar with closure can be performed if there is not too much tension on the closure, and if the scar is hypertrophic or a keloid scar, direct injection of a corticosteroid into the new closure can help prevent it from recurring.